The present invention pertains in general to automation equipment for bulk shipping terminals, and in particular, to a terminal automation system for automating and coordinating delivery operations of bulk shipping terminals.
Prior art bulk shipping terminals have included access systems which collect data relating to various loads which are transported from a single bulk shipping terminal. The collected data is stored locally at a bulk shipping terminal. Access codes for subscriber input devices are used for allowing drivers entry and access to the particular bulk shipping terminal. These access codes are entered and stored in a local database, requiring that any updating of access codes be performed manually at the particular bulk shipping terminal. The data collected from terminal monitoring and metering devices have sometimes been transferred to a central database located in a central office, which is remote from the particular bulk shipping terminal, typically by data transmissions passing through public telephone networks. The central office would typically access only limited data from a bulk shipping terminal, usually only relating to data from bills of lading and customer billing information. The primary data storage for prior art systems was located in the local databases at the bulk shipping terminals, and individual customers were not allowed access to such data. Customers were only provided data in reports which related to specific bills of lading. This presents some problems when considering the aspect of access to information. If a truck takes on a load at one loading terminal, delivers this load, and then takes on a load at another loading terminal, it is difficult to track loading information as to this truck. This is due to the fact that all information collected at each loading terminal is typically local, requiring a requestor to access information from both terminals.
In the present invention disclosed and claimed herein, there is provided a bulk terminal automation system for automating and coordinating delivery operations of bulk shipping terminals. Data entry relating to customer transport requests, and driver and vehicle access data are entered at the central office, and then transmitted from the central office, through a global computer network, and to a local database located in a bulk shipping terminal, which is located remotely from the central office. Local data is collected at the bulk shipping terminal through a local network. The local data includes information relating to driver access inputs, loads collected, bills of lading, storage levels and metered units of bulk materials which are dispensed. The locally collected data is periodically transmitted to the central office and stored in a central office database which is configured in a relational database arrangement. Inventory and load shipment reconciliation reports are complied at the central office, rather than requiring redundant processing capability at separate bulk shipping terminals. The data stored in the relational database is accessed through various service modules which process the data to provide specialized reports according to various customer data requests. Customers may request standardized reports, or specialized data reports may be selectively customized by the customer. The reports generated from the central database are transmitted from the central office to the customer through the global computer network. The data reports may combine data from several terminals to provide regional data relating to consumer use and customer load shipment distribution.